porelcontrario
Que Séra
Marta D.
Excerpts from various adventures across the globe
91 posts
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
Last Seen Blogs
br-ken-smile
Suffocating
brookethesunsurfer
THE SUNSURFER
mrshaganezuka
KNY Prompts
bows-and-stars
Bowsandstars
boysandysw
Untitled
Text
Le départ
The hard part of study abroad isn’t living in a foreign country, it’s leaving. And while that metaphor may be beautiful, poetic, and definitely true, I mean this very literally.
On Thursday night, I held my tears in as I said my goodbyes to all of my friends that I had made and my wonderful Senegalese family. However, as soon as I got in the taxi and began driving away, my pent up tears released themselves. Unknowing of the next time I would be back, I tried to use all of my senses to soak up the last sights, smells, and sounds of the place that has been home for the last 4 months. In some ways, I felt that I was not ready to leave. I had grown to love this place so much and all of the cultural differences had begun to feel comfortable, as I had learned how to navigate through them. I was unsatisfied with my goodbyes because I did not get to have a formal one with all of the people and places that have touched me and made this experience what it was. I reflected on both the amazing and challenging moments that this study abroad experience has given me and I felt grateful for the growth that I have made throughout my time here. Although I was excited to come home, leaving Senegal, a foreign place that has become a home is something I did not want to do.
Once we reached the brand new airport, I waited in line to check in and check my bags. Although there were only ten people in the line, it was taking longer due to glitches in the computer. When I finally made it up to the counter, I put my bags on the scale, which were underweight alxamdulilah, (Thanks be to god) and passed over my passport to receive my boarding pass. The man confirmed with me, “You’re flying South African Airways to Dulles International?” and I replied with, “Yes, inshallah.” This Wolof/ Arabic phrase, which means god-willing is used almost anytime someone talks about a future event. Even something as simple as “see you tonight” is followed by an “inshallah.” Due to the slow pace of Senegalese life combined with the acceptance that time is an illusion, a lot of things in Senegal did not happen on schedule or did not happen at all. Sometimes it was because of heavy traffic, or other times maybe it really wasn’t the will of allah for this event to take place. Because there was little to be certain about in Senegal, my friends and I would joke about it, telling our professors that yes, we will turn in our papers on Monday, inshallah.
When I said this “inshallah” to the man at the ticket counter, I really did feel the essence of uncertainty, which turned out to be justified. Once we made it through security, after only sitting at our gate for a half hour, we found out that the rumored airport employee strike had turned out to be true. All flights going out from midnight on Friday were canceled and until the worker’s demands were met, the strike would continue, and was estimated to last for at least 24 hours. After spending the night and most of the day stranded at the airport, the airline finally put us up in a hotel in Dakar and rescheduled my flight for early morning on Sunday. And although I could have been mad and annoyed that my journey home was not going as planned, the universe knew I didn’t want to leave Dakar and granted me one night and one day to soak up the beauty of Senegal for just a little bit longer.
Once again, this country has shown me one of the most important universal truths, which is that when we learn to let go of the things we can’t control and accept the reality of what is, we find enjoyment in the present moment that the universe has given us.
1 note
·
View note
Text
Une Vie d’Intention
Being in a country as beautiful as Senegal reinforced the notion that the time we are given is precious, and we must spend it intentionally because the amount of time we are given on this earth is widely unknown. A couple weeks ago, I was sitting in a gelato shop, with my best friend Josie, and I received a call from my sister. She called to tell me that my cousin’s time on this earth was suddenly finished. After only 22 years, my beautiful, lively, kind, and loving cousin, left this earth. Hearing this news, tears began to roll down my face, I was in shock and in disbelief. I simply didn’t understand how life could be taken so fast and so unexpectedly like that.
Josie and I discussed the odd thing that life and death is. The fact that one second someone is there, and the next second they are not. Death is a reminder that time is the greatest, most valuable gift of all. I have found that because I am in such a special place like Senegal, I have been more conscious and intentional about how I spend my time; making sure that I can experience all of the beauty that this country holds. I know that I need to make every second count. I never want to be wasting time in my room watching Netflix or staring at my phone watching the world exist around me, I want to be outside doing and experiencing. This does not equate to doing extravagant things each day, but it means doing things that bring me joy.
One of these daily activities is going to the gym. On my 15 minute walk from my house to the gym, I exchange greetings in Wolof with Dudu, a local tailor, Sow, a man who sells rugs on the side of the road, Alpha, my fruit stand man, and my favorite lime seller who always greets me with “Bonjour, madame! Citron?” After seeing all of these friendly faces, I reach the corniche, the coastline, and through two buildings, I get to see the beautiful view of the ocean, which I stop for one second to admire each day. Once I arrive at the gym, I say “Bonjour Marta” and the woman at the reception, with the same name as me, says “Bonjour Marta” back to me. Hopping on my favorite spin bike, I begin with an easy warm up and then increase my resistance to simulate an uphill path. If at any point my friend François catches me not pedaling fast enough he comes by and yells “VITE! VITE!” and moves his arms as fast as he believes I should be moving my legs. After I finish on the bike, I meet my friend Halley in the weight room and we lift together. Navigating a weight room filled with a bunch of Senegalese men is difficult at times but we are able to make it work. After finishing my workout, I make my way home on the same path I took, saying hello again to all of my friends along the way. Working out is just one of the many daily things that make living in Senegal feel comfortable.
As I prepare to return back to the states, I find myself getting nervous about returning to the mindless routine of my busy college schedule. Time goes by fast each day when I am running around campus racing to complete all of the things that need to be accomplished each day. I rarely ask myself, what do I want to do today? The first question is always what do I need to do today. My life here in Senegal has been incredible and much more intentional than my life at school. As I get ready to return back, I do not want to leave all that I’ve learned behind. My life at school can be just as beautiful as my life in Senegal. Staying present and spending my time intentionally every day allows me to not only be grateful for the time that I have been given, but also allows me to use it wisely.
1 note
·
View note
Text
L'étranger
For a girl who’s just about to complete her 20th year on this earth, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to many different places across the globe, meeting some beautiful people and experiencing new cultures. My footprint on this earth seems sizable, yet insignificant at the same time. Each of these experiences that I’ve had have touched me and made me a better person in large and small ways. Across my journeys, I have found that it is the new people I interact with that make these travels so significant.
Meeting people while traveling is a somewhat strange thing. All of these interactions usually have some type of finite ending. Whether it’s a two hour plane ride, a two day long trip, a two week vacation, or a two month stay, life seems to always show us an expiration date. Due to this time constraint, some may question how vulnerable they should be in these soon-to-be expired interactions. Is it worth it to tell your life story, your greatest fears, and your biggest dreams all to a stranger whom you may never see again?
This past week while I was vacationing in St. Louis, I spent quite a bit of time on the practically deserted beach that was conveniently located right outside of my hotel room door. While I was relaxing on the beach, men would periodically hiss at me or try to talk to me, which is something I expect to always encounter in Senegal. However, at one point, one older man plopped down next to me with a small bag of hand-crafted goods that he insisted on showing me, even though I told him I didn’t have any money on me. The man took each item out one-by-one, explaining to me how each piece was hand-crafted with locally sourced materials. Once he finished showing me all of his items, I complimented their beauty and assumed the conversation would end there.
On the contrary, we began to talk about my experiences in Senegal and how life here compares to life in the States. We also discussed pressing global issues such as climate change, terrorism, and corrupt governments. We talked about the value which lies in peace and cultural exchanges. He expressed that he appreciated that I took the time to talk with him and that I chose to leave my hotel because most foreigners will come to stay at the hotel and never leave to actually experience the local culture and people. He told me that he enjoys interacting with foreigners and finds great value in the new things he can learn and the things he can teach others.
What baffled me most about this conversation was how it ended. I was expecting him to ask for my phone number, or insist that I come to his home for a meal or attaya (tea) like most men do. However, much to my surprise, he simply thanked me for the good conversation and wished me a good stay in St. Louis and Dakar.
This man understood the importance of making insignificant moments, significant. He understands the vastness of this world and did not try to alter the paths of our lives so that we would meet again. He understands that some of life’s greatest moments, are just moments, and they don’t need to last forever, because sometimes a moment is just enough.
We will never know how much time has been granted to us on this earth and which moments will be our last. Therefore, while traveling through this world we should give ourselves to the moment, being vulnerable, present, and aware of all the knowledge and beauty a stranger can bring into our lives.
2 notes
·
View notes
